Ray (3-1) was the pitcher of record in the Diamondbacks' 6-3 loss to the Cardinals on Monday. He covered five innings and struck out seven while giving up six runs on nine hits and a walk.

EDGE Analysis

The Cardinals blitzed Ray right away, as the southpaw allowed the six of the first seven hitters to reach base in a three-run first inning. Ray then retired 13 of the next 15 batters before yielding back-to-back solo shots in the top of the sixth, with manager Torey Lovullo giving him the hook after Jedd Gyorko's blast. On an encouraging note, Ray has displayed solid control with a 13:3 K:BB over 11 innings in his first two starts since returning from the disabled list, but his fastball velocity has averaged 93.3 miles per hour between those outings, per Brooks Baseball. That's a full tick down from what he averaged during his breakthrough 2017 campaign.